Celtic accused of behaviour 'not befitting a great club' and blanking calls for leniency for Legia Warsaw in the wake of Champions League exit

12:38, 10 August 2014

ByDailyrecord.co.uk

POLISH football great Zbigniew Boniek has revealed how the club attempted to contact Celtic in an attempt to persuade them to accept a reduced punishment from UEFA after Legia fielded an ineligible player.

Celtic lost 6-1 on aggregate but found themselves back in the Champions League following a UEFA sanction

CELTIC have been accused of ‘hiding behind a bush’ and blanking calls to give up their place in the Champions League and allow Legia Warsaw to be reinstated.

The accusation was made by President of the Polish FA, former internationalist Zbigniew Boniek who revealed how Legia attempted to contact Celtic in an attempt to persuade them to accept a reduced punishment from UEFA after Legia fielded an ineligible player.

Legia believed that the player had served a UEFA ban picked up in the Europa League, but had not registered him for this season’s opening UEFA Champions League matches, meaning that the player was still suspended.

When the error was noticed - and with Legia facing effective expulsion from the competition - Boniek revealed that a series of frantic phone calls were made but that no-one at Celtic Park picked up the phone.

“I called everyone, I wrote to Michel Platini,” he said. “People within UEFA told me that there is only one option, to try to save Legia that Celtic would waive their promotion, within the gesture of fair play.

“Even at eight in the morning I told the President Leśnodorskiemu that we needed an intensive push on Celtic, because only this can make a difference.

“Had Celtic officially given up their place, Legia could have stayed in Champions League. Celtic were unreachable that day. They didn’t return the calls or reply to e-mails. They just hid behind a bush and waited. Such behaviour is not befitting the great club. Whatever you decide, have the courage to pick up the phone.”

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“Everyone thoroughly looked into this matter,” he continued, “but Michel Platini and Giorgio Marchetti said one thing – ‘Zibi, there is no backdoor. Nothing. Regulations do not provide for any other penalty. We are very sorry’.”

“This is not about UEFA wanting to throw out Legia and pull the richer Celtic in. Nonsense. Simply despite best efforts, pre-written law does not allow for any flexibility.”

“There are some loopholes, for example. Formal errors committed by the same Disciplinary Commission. I do not think there is one hundred percent completed successfully.

“It is studied by many lawyers. And if they were formal errors on the part of the Commission, it may be able to waive its judgment. But we know: the chances are not great. But as long as there are any, you need to act.

“I also have to say that as a union we shall conduct a formal complaint to the Disciplinary Committee. Michel Platini said that it is a scandal that the president and co-owner of the club arrives specifically [for the meeting] and were not even heard by the Commission, just kept in the lobby. It’s a great impropriety.”

Commenting on the decision an official Legia statement read: “This is unjust and completely disproportionate. There have been similar cases in the past which have not punished in this way. This was just a basic human error. We have spent eight years working towards this and now it has been taken away from us. Financially, it’s unimaginable and the players are shattered.”

A spokesperson for Celtic Football Club today responded: “We are disappointed by Legia Warsaw's comments. This is entirely a matter for UEFA and its processes. Accordingly, we will reserve further comment for the appropriate time.”